Jenner & Block lands two big guns

Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block LLC is hiring two big names from competitor Kirkland & Ellis: Robert S. Osborne, to head its corporate transaction department, and Elmer Johnson, a former lead partner who stepped down last week as president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, a 53-year-old think tank.

At Jenner, Mr. Osborne, 47, will succeed the department's co-chairs, Jerry Burgdoerfer and David Bronner, who will remain with the firm, according to Jenner Chairman Jerold Solovy. "It's one big happy family," he said, adding that Mr. Osborne saw an opportunity to "build something."

Mr. Johnson, 70, was a power at Chicago-based Kirkland, handling prized client General Motors Corp., a relationship that Mr. Osborne also oversaw. Mr. Osborne is a former general counsel of Lands' End Inc. Neither could be reached Tuesday for immediate comment.

Mr. Solovy said Mr. Johnson would "help us quite a bit" in lawyering deals for corporate clients.